Drake Samples The Pet Shop Boys (Without Permission)
The Pet Shop Boys took to X to call out the Grammy winner for using lyrics from their 1986 hit "West End Girls" without asking for permission.
Any time Drake comes out with a new album, there’s bound to be some controversy. At this point, it’s expected from the rapper. What was surprising, however, is who the Canadian hip-hop star angered this time: a legendary gay synth-pop duo.
Drake’s latest album, For All the Dogs, was released on Friday, Oct. 6, and it only took a few hours before one of the first controversies popped up.
The Pet Shop Boys took to Twitter to call out the Grammy winner for using lyrics from their 1986 hit “West End Girls” without asking their permission.
The Pet Shop Boys — Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, both gay men — posted on social media the cover of the album and their comment, which reads, “Surprising to hear @Drake singing the chorus of ‘West End girls’ in the track ‘All the Parties’ on his new album. No credit given or permission requested.”
Surprising to hear @Drake singing the chorus of “West End girls” in the track “All the Parties” on his new album. No credit given or permission requested.#PetText #kobaltmusic #WestEndgirls #Drake #PetShopBoys pic.twitter.com/P5siIccTw9
— Pet Shop Boys (@petshopboys) October 6, 2023
The band is referring to a portion of the song “All the Parties,” on which Drake raps, “East End boys and West End girls, yeah / East End boys and West End girls, ayy,” in the second verse. In the Pet Shops Boys’s single, the chorus goes:
“In a West End town, a dead end world
The East End boys and West End girls
In a West End town, a dead end world
The East End boys and West End girls
West End girls”
Perhaps most egregiously, Drake didn’t even credit Tennant and Lowe as songwriters.
It’s common practice in the music industry for artists to credit songwriters of an original track when they sample or interpolate some portion of lyrics from another cut.
Not asking permission is one infraction, but the two Pet Shop Boys songwriters deserve a cut of the royalties from the track. If they choose to, the band could sue Drake, and perhaps earn some of the money his new tune will generate.
“West End Girls” was a significant hit for the Pet Shop Boys, pivotal in establishing their reputation in the music industry. The song achieved chart-topping success in both the U.K. and the U.S., earning the duo numerous accolades, including the Brit Award for Best Single in 1987.
Drake’s latest album has created controversy with more than just the Pet Shop Boys, which is impressive, considering it’s only been out for a few days.
The set has also faced criticism from rapper Rye Rye, who claimed he used her vocals in his song “Calling For You” without reaching out to her.
Listen to both songs below to hear for yourself:
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